Hundreds of Coloradans waved signs today at the rallies in Denver and Grand Junction, protesting Obamacare, the deficit and just about anything having to do with Washington.

Matthew McBride, 12, made his own sign.

Matthew McBride, who is 12 and lives in Superior, made his own sign, which read: “B.O. Something stinks in Washington!”

It’s his second rally. The 7th grader at Eldorado K-8 also attended a 9-12 event.

Brad Hams, 55, of Lakewood, also made his own sign.

“I’m here because I’m disgusted with the direction this country is going in,” said Brad Hams, 55, of Lakewood, repeating a comment made by more than a dozen people standing around the west steps of the state Capitol.

Other signs included:

* Don’t drink tea, Obama will tax your pee.

* We get Obamacare. Obama gets health care.

* End corruption! Fire Congress!

* Democrats – Digging American Deeper into Debt

* Free markets, not freeloaders.

Some people carried American flags or flags that said “Don’t tread on me.” Others wore buttons that said, “Part of the Angry Mob.”

Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry’s bill to find efficiencies in state government came close to getting out of committee today but then found its way to limbo.

Instead of taking a vote on Senate Bill 29, Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, chairman of the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee tabled consideration of the bill while Democrats could look over an amended version of the measure.

In its original version, the bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Curry, an unaffiliated lawmaker from Gunnison, would have saved around $30 million a year from a variety of money-saving measures ranging from putting the lieutenant governor in charge of the Department of Local Affairs to implementing a stricter hiring freeze than one enacted by Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter.

Ann Westmeyer of Littleton sent a check and the article. The story looked at U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey’s vote for health-care reform and how that has renewed Republicans’ interest in taking out the Fort Collins Democrat.

Gardner is one of three Republicans running in the primary in the 4th Congressional District.

The Post reported:

Fred Vierra of Cherry Hills Village lives outside the 4th Congressional District but sent Republican congressional candidate Cory Gardner a $1,000 donation.

“You can thank Betsy Markey’s health care vote for this check,” he wrote last week in a note to the campaign.

Westmeyer wrote in the margin of the the article, “Thank her again!” She also included a note that said, “Again, you can thank Betsy Markey’s healthcare vote for this check,” and a P.S. that she also lived outside the 4th district.

Also running in the GOP primary are Tom Lucero and Dean Madere.

Today is the last day of fundraising for the second first quarter of 2010.

Editor’s Note: The Tea Party Express bus tour is winding its way through Colorado today. In advance of their appearance at the state capitol at 4 p.m., we thought you’d be interested in a snapshot from the Western Slope stop this morning.

By NANCY LOFHOLMThe Denver Post

GRAND JUNCTION — Philip Anderson of Danville, Ill., was glad to see the Tea Party Express roll into its first stop in Colorado today more than a half hour late. That gave him more time to hawk his screen-printed, “A Revolution is Brewing” t-shirts.

The first Tea-Party Express, a 39-city tour of the U.S. over 19 days, stopped in Denver at Civic Center Park in November. (RJ Sangosti/ The Denver Post)

Anderson is one of more than a dozen vendors following the Express bus as it wends its way from Searchlight, Nev., to Boston, Mass., this month spreading the gospel of anti-Obama, anti-healthcare, anti-“lamestream” media and anti-gun control. The tour is scheduled to stop in Denver for a rally at the state capitol at 4 p.m.

About 1,000 Tea Partiers from as far away as Norwood and Eagle braved cold, sign-tearing, flag-snapping winds to hear local conservatives and a cast of Tea Party Express entertainers and speakers denigrate those who supported health care reform, those who would turn America into a socialist nation and the CNN Express bus – “the communist news network” – that is following the Tea Party tour across the country.

Many of the attendees at the city park rally in Grand Junction also plunked down cash for t-shirts, hats, calendars, flags, books, CDs and buttons sold by the official Tea Party Express vendors and by private individuals with similar wares.

Many state offices will be closed on Good Friday as state workers take a furlough day.

Friday marks the seventh of eight furlough days scheduled for state employees this year, saving an estimated $27.2 million as part of cost reductions to help balance the budget.

Offices closed Friday include state driver’s license offices, the Department of Public Health and Environment’s vital records office, state history museums, Division of Wildlife service centers and administrative offices for executive branch departments. About 15,500 executive branch employees will be taking the unpaid furlough day.

Colorado State Parks remain open Friday – except for visitor centers. State troopers will be patrolling the highways, and Department of Transportation snow plows and maintenance crews will be working as necessary, while the Traffic Operations Center will be operating as usual.

The state unemployment benefits office, state nursing homes, hospitals and care centers also will be open. While the House and Senate will not be in session Friday, legislative support staff offices will be open as will state courts, the Attorney General’s Office, Treasurer’s Office and Secretary of State’s Office.

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter was one of four governors to write to the attorney general blasting the decision by state’s attorneys general to sue over health care, but it’s what wasn’t in the letter that piqued John Suthers’ interest.

“I think it’s significant that the governors don’t discuss the implications of expanding the current understanding of the commerce power to allow Congress to regulate economic inactivity -to economically sanction you for not buying a particular product or service that the federal government wants you to buy,” said Suthers, Colorado’s attorney general and its highest-ranking Republican.

“If they can do so, there is no limit to the federal government’s control over an individual’s economic decision making.”

Republicans have included Rep. John Salazar as one of "Pelosi's Puppets."

Another sign that Republicans think they can take out U.S. Rep. John Salazar: He’s made their “Pelosi’s Puppets” list.

The Republican National Committee has selected a dozen House Democrats whom they say take their marching orders from their “puppet master, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, instead of you, the American people.”

“Find out what you can do to help clip their strings to bring us closer to the ultimate goal of firing Puppet Master Pelosi,” the Website says.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.